Individual Song Listing - Earth Songs

Individual Earth Songs

Do you know of other outstanding songs or albums that are not listed here but should be? If so, please send information or a demo to me for evaluation. Contact me at:
harold (at) planetpatriot.net.

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Favorites - Albums with a symbol indicates songs or albums that I think are exceptionally outstanding!

An increasing number of Earth Songs are available from the iTunes Music Store for Mac and Windows. Some of these are indicated in the listings below by an iTunes icon - but if you don't see an icon, try it anyway - it may have been added - and if not, you can recommend to Apple that it be added!

New! Planet Patriot Earth Songs iMix available on iTunes Music Store - free music previews!

"Air Mail Pollution" by Dan Berggren, on his album Mountain Air.
"Amazon (Let This Be a Voice)" by John Denver on his Different Directions album, as well as the John Muir Tribute CD.
"Amazon" written by Bruce Watson, performed by Eric Bogle on Voices in the Wilderness, 1990.
A lament about the burning of the Amazon, destroying rain forests to convert them to cattle ranches.
"Before the Earth Disappears" written and performed by Dennyvan.
A call to save Mother Earth. Lyrics and MP3 download or streaming mp3 available from Dennyvan's Ampcast.com site.
"Be The Rain" by Neil Young - plea to "Save the planet for another day..."
"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell
Also recorded by:
- Máire Brennan on her 1994 album, Misty Eyed Adventures
- Amy Grant on her 1994 album, House of Love
- Sara Hamman on her album Breath By Breath
- Sugar Beats on their album 21 Really Cool Songs - Fresh Versions of Classic Rock 'n' Roll for Kids
- Ian & Helen C, on their album, Big Yellow Taxi (A New York Buskers Tale)
- Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton.
- Big Yellow Taxi on their album, A Tribute to Joni Mitchell
"Appleseed John" on the 1964 New Christy Minstrels's album Land of Giants - A song about Johnny Appleseed.
"Call Me the Whale" by Paul Kaplan, performed by Bill Oliver on Have to Have a Habitat
"Calypso" by John Denver from the album Windsong - about Jacques Costeau's ship. You can hear John Denver sound clips on Amazon.com.
"Cement Octopus" by Malvina Reynolds, performed by Pete Seeger on the album God Bless the Grass, which has just been re-released on CD!
"Chief Seattle" Audio previews: (Real Audio) (MP3) by Meridian Green on her Live from Caspar album. Full Mp3 download available for purchase at eFolkMusic.com.
"Children of the Universe" by John Denver on his Seasons of the Heart album.
"Chinook Blues" by Alice De Micele on her album, Demons and Angels. Tells the first-person story of the hazards faced by a migrating Chinook Salmon.
"Come Blow Your Horn" by Tom Chapin on his album This Pretty Planet - A great song about every species' inherent worth.
"Coming of the Roads" by Billy Edd Wheeler, from the album Flowers and Stones; also performed by Peter, Paul and Mary on their album Songs of Conscience and Concern.
"Cows with Guns" by Dana Lyons. This song hilariously imagines what it might be like if our livestock decided to fight back and had automatic weapons to do it! The lyrics can be read online, but trust me, it's more fun just to buy the album and listen, or hear the soundclips! The rest of the website is fun to explore too!
"Coho" by ZunZun from their album Flabbergasted- humrous and thoughtful, tracing the life of the coho salmon on the epic journey to the sea. Also available as a musical play.
"Defend the Earth" by Alice De Micele on her album, Searching.
"Don't Cut Me Down" by Olivia Newton-John, on her album Gaia - A tribute and plea for the old-growth forests. Eloquent lyrics and beautiful singing.
"Earth Anthem" by Stephen Longfellow Fiske This song is available on the album, Stephen Longfellow Fiske from Amazon.com. You can listen to sound samples and buy the poster by clicking on the image at the right.
"Earth Pledge" by Earth Mama (Joyce Rouse)
A "bonus track" offered on her album, Grass Roots!, now available from the iTunes Music Store:
"Earth Day Every Day" by John Denver .
You can hear John Denver sound clips on Amazon.com.
Earth's Our Only Home by Elliott Madriss, on his album Cherish the Earth. Saving the planet is so simple even a child should understand it, but this is not "children's music" but a thoughtful presentation of the hard facts of the need to preserve our only home!
"Earth Patriot" by Howard Shapiro
Earth Day Song by David F. Saphra
"Earth Song" by Alchemy VII. This great song is a hard-driving song in four parts. Available for streaming on www.mp3.com, and on their 2002 album The Magick and their 2002 album White Raven Absolutely inspirational and unique. You might call this "New Age Hard Rock" - lead singer's Gina's beautiful voice is evocative of Lisa Thiel's bell-like tones, but totally unlike soft "new age" music, this is accompanied by drums, bongo, voice harmony, and hard-driving electric guitar. "Do you hear the earth song?... connect with her energy, go with her flow..."
"Ecology Song", written and recorded by Stephen Sills on his Stephen Sills 2 album.
"Mother nature made it green/Prettiest place you've ever seen/ People don't know what they need"
"Evergreen, Everblue" by Raffi (1990, Homeland Publihing (CAPAC)) on his album, Evergreen, Everblue.
"Expanding Universe" by Eric Idle, performed by Dana Lyons and John Seed on their album, At Night They Howl at the Moon: Environmental Songs for Kids. Educational song about the revolving earth, sun, and galaxy, with a final reminder to "Sink your roots deep into reality, Dance your life for Planet Earth."
"The Flower That Shattered the Stone" by Joe Henry & John Jarvis. This great song has been recorded by John Denver, Olivia Newton-John and other artists.
"Fly Away" by John Denver. You can hear John Denver sound clips on Amazon.com.
"Forever Wild" by Walkin' Jim Stoltz on his album Forever Wild (1987, Lone Coyote Records)
"For the Beauty of the Earth" by Folliott S. Pierpont, 1864, (music by Conrad Kocher)
"Foxfire Suite" by John Denver on Different Directions album.
"Freedom Reigns" by Aro Veno - available on The Burn Sisters, Close to Home album.
"From Way Up Here" by Malvina Reynolds, performed by Pete Seeger on the album God Bless the Grass, which has just been re-released on CD!
"Gaia" by Olivia Newton-John, on her album Gaia - Beginning with the sounds of the forest birds and rain, the voice of Gaia swells to not a plea but a command from the Earth Goddess: "Respect Me, Respect Me, I need you to protect me, For it is you not me, Whose fate is in jeopardy!" A powerful new song you MUST experience!

"Garden Song" written by David Mallett (1975, Cherry Lane Music) recorded on David Mallett's Inches and Miles album, and by many other musicians, including John Denver, Peter Paul and Mary, Maria Muldaur, Nu Myth, and many others

"God Bless the Grass" by Malvina Reynolds, performed by Pete Seeger on the album God Bless the Grass, which has just been re-released on CD!

Lyrics excerpt:
God bless the truth that fights toward the sun,
They roll the lies over it and think that it is done
It moves through the ground and reaches for the air,
And after a while it is growing everywhere,
And God bless the grass.

"The Gifts of Earth" words and music by Frances LeBeau - the Official State Environmental Song for Louisiana, adopted in 1990 - Louisiana Revised Statutes, Title 49, Section 155.2 (which contains the lyrics).
"The Great Green Earth," - written by Fred Small to mark the 25th anniversary of Earth Day.
"Green City" by Stephen Longfellow Fiske on his Visions and Stephen Longfellow Fiske albums. This song is available on the album, Stephen Longfellow Fiske" by Stephen Longfellow Fiske at Amazon.com.
"Have to Have a Habitat" by Bill Oliver (1982) This is an enviornmental classic!
"Hooray for Hetch Hetchy" by Bill Oliver (2005) This is the latest John Muir-inspired song by our best Eco-folk-rock musician, a beautiful and moving plea for restoring John Muir's beloved Hetch Hetchy Valley.
"I Am a Dolphin" by Jay Mankita (1991, Low Budget Butterfly Productions)
"I am the River" by Dan Tyler on his album I Hope" - A Nashville-style song celebrating a river's wandering and urging its waters be kept clean. "If a river lives, it can die." The song has been chosen as the theme song for Tennessee WaterWorks!, Center for Environmental Education, a statewide organization to promote clean rivers and streams.
"If I Had Wings" by Golden Bough on their Album, Contemporary Songs - the Night Wind. "Sing for the love of life and all it's giving...." Traditional melody with lyrics by Paul Espinoza.
"In a World" by Alice De Micele on her album, Searching.
"Islands" by John Denver on his Seasons of the Heart album.
"John of the Mountains" by Mathew Werner, performed by Mariposa.
"Just A Little Rain" (also known as "What Have They Done to the Rain?" by Malvina Reynolds, performed by Joan Baez, The Searchers, and others. (1962, renewed 1990, Schroeder Music)
"Katie's River" by Jennifer Berezan, on her album Borderlines (1992, Flying Fish Records)
"The Keeper" by Barleycorn, on their album, Green and Gold: Free in MP3 format from emusic.com
"The Last Leviathan" words and music by Andy Barnes, Publisher: Friendly Overtures Ltd. © 1986 Friendly Overtures. - A haunting lament by the last of the great whales. Performed by Golden Bough on their album, Celtic Music from Ireland, Scotland and Brittany, CD II (1998), and also performed under the title "The Last of the Great Whales" by many other groups (some 75 in all!) including the Dubliners, Steven Quigg and a wonderful version by Solas on their album The Hour Before Dawn ( Free MP3 from emusic.com.
Lyrics are also available - Offsite-link]
"Let's Save the Animals" by Paul Falgares and Liza DiSavino (1993)
"The Lorax (In Laytonville)" by Meridian Green on her album In the Heart of This Town (From StringBender Records) - This cajun-y tune is based on a true story about a small logging town's effort to ban the acclaimed Dr. Suess book about a little being who tries to "speak for the trees.: Listen to Streaming Audio version of this song in Real Audio format
"Love Is the Master" by John Denver on his One World album and reprlayed on other collections such as Portrait and The Country Roads Collection. A beautiful song about ""he wilderness..." where "your life is everything you want it to be."
"The Matriot Anthem" by Chris Highland - an International anthem for living in harmony with the Earth and all its people, sung to the melody of "America the Beautiful."
Clan Dyken - "Medicine People" by Bear Dyken - on Clan Dyken's album, Family Values (1989, Dyken Music, BMI, Forward Productions)
"Mercy Mercy Me" � by Marvin Gaye, on his 1971 album, What's Going On. This song gently laments, "Oh mercy mercy me/Oh, things ain't what they used to be no, no/Where did all the blue sky go?/Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east."
"Mighty Big Ways" by Rodgers (BMI) performed by The New Christy Minstrels on their album The Definitive New Christy Minstrels (Disc 2). Praise to "a land of plenty, a land of beauty, a land that we can all share," acknowleding "that the "Good Earth brings and lays at our feet each day" all these things attributing it to "His mighty big ways." (If I could, I'd change the lyrics to "She has mighty big ways." because I think they are really singing about Mother Nature.)
"Morning Has Broken" by Eleanor Farjeon using traditional Gaelic melody (1957, Harold Other Assoc.Inc.), performed by Cat Stevens on Teaser and the Firecat.
"Muir Power to You" by Bill Oliver - Free MP3 or on John Muir Tribute or his albums Better Things to Do
My City Was Gone by The Pretenders
"My Dirty Stream (The Hudson River Song)" by Pete Seeger - on the album God Bless the Grass, which has just been re-released on CD!.
"My Land is a Good Land" by Eric Anderson, performed by Pete Seeger on the album God Bless the Grass, which has just been re-released on CD!
"My Rainbow Race" by Pete Seeger (1970, Sanga Music). With the refrain, "One blue sky above us, One ocean, lapping all our shores, One earth so green and round, Who could ask for more?" this song confirms the reality that we all share this planet. This wonderful song acknowledges that "Some want to take the easy way: / Poisons, bombs! They think we need 'em." but then confirms the essential truth that that theocrats of all stripes deny: "Don't they know you can't kill all the unbelievers. / There's no shortcut to freedom." The remaining lyrics provide inspiration that shows there really is a way to have peace on earth - it is actually simple: "learn to share / What's been given to me and you."
Unfortunately a performance version of this song seems currently out of print, except for Donovan's rendition on the tribute album Where Have All The Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger. However, you will find the lyrics and the catchy melody in Rise Up Singing: The Group Singing Songbook, available from Sing Out.
"The Natural Order of Things" by Alchemy VII. Available for streaming on www.mp3.com, and on their self-titled album Alchemy VII. A hard-drivin' and fun "blues" song sung by "Ma Ma Earth" herself. It is about the current state of the earth from her perspective.
"Need More" by Alchemy VII. Available for streaming on www.mp3.com, and on their self-titled album Alchemy VII. This is a heavy medium tempo metal rock song about the destructive, throw away attitude of always needing more, which has lead to so much of the devistation of our planet.
"New Hampshire Naturally" by Shaw Brothers (Official State Song) on their Album Flight Without Wings
"O Earth Beautiful" by Stephen Longfellow Fiske on his Visions and Stephen Longfellow Fiske albums. This song is available on the album, Stephen Longfellow Fiske" - Stephen Longfellow Fiske at Amazon.com.
"Old Man River" - with new lyrics about chemical plants on the Mississippi and their toxic wastes, performed by The Limeliters, in their album, Global Carnival (1992, West Knoll Records) (out of print).
"Once there Was" by Dotie Gittelson - A lament, written in 1970, how "Once there was land as nature had planned" but now "The land that we knew is no more."
"One with the Land" by Dick McCormack
Our Blue Planet by Kerry Richardson - A lively celebration of life, sung by Richardson's elementary school students.
"Over in the Endangered Meadow" by Sally Rogers (1989, Round River Records), on her album Piggyback Planet: Songs for a Whole Earth"
"Paradise" by John Prine
"The Picnic of the World" by Tom Chapin, on his album Mother Earth. Lyrics by John Forster, Music by Jacques Offenbach. Take a powerhouse classical melody, add dozens of nation's names, and what have you got? What else? - the picnic of the world "all sitting on the same big blanket, with the same big basket, full of problems and annoyances, but all knowing at the deep down heart of it, we're all a part of it, the picnic of the world?
"The People Are Scratching" - word by Ernie Marrs and Harold Martin, music by Pete Seeger. A classic tale of ecological relationships and the cascade effect by unwarraned poisoning. Available on Seeger's signature album, God Bless the Grass
"A Place in the Choir" - written by Bill Staines, from Staine's albums Redbird's Wing (Philo PH-1118), 1988 and The First Million Miles,1989, Rounder Records One Camp St., Cambridge, MA 02140, and Bridges, Red House Records, P.O. Box 4044, St. Paul, MN 55104. This last album includes a hilarious narrative "The Porcupine Talks to Itself" which explains that portion of the lyric in "A Place in the Choir." Check out a clip from Bil Staines and six other artists here:
My favorite version is performed by the Limeliters on their album, A Mighty Day! , 1996. West Knoll Records
"Plant Me a Tree" by Joe Wise, on his album Music for Kids: Best of Joe Wise, Vol. 2. This album also has a version of Bill Staine's song Place in the Choir. Listen to sound clip and buy online below or buy from iTunes:
"Pollution" by Tom Lehrer, available on That Was the Year that Was, (1965, Reprise Records)
"Power" by John and Johanna Hall, from their album Such is Love; also performed by Peter, Paul and Mary on their album Songs of Conscience & Concern.
"Give me the spirit of living things... but take your atomic poison power away!"
"The Rainbow Road Song" by Rosie Emery [A mp3 clip is available.]
"The Rape of the World (Mother)" by Tracy Chapman, on her New Beginning album (1995).
Requiem for the Giant Trees by Anne Hills, Cindy Mangsen and Priscilla Herdman on their album Voices. Download from iTunes Music Store for 99 cents!
"The Rivers" by Cheryl Wheeler on her album Mrs. Pinocci's Guitar.
Cheryl laments, "Laden with garbage from decades ago/The Rivers can poison us."
"Rockin in a Weary Land" by Lorraine Lee. Performed by Priscilla Herdman on her album Darkness Into Light
"Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver and Mike Taylor.
"Rocky Mountain Song" by W. Bay
"The Eagle and the Hawk" by John Denver and Mike Taylor.
"Run See the Sun" by Steve Schuch and Carol Fletcher
"Saltwater" by Julian Lennon. - Among others, recorded on Judith Durham's Always There album. "We are a rock revolving around a golden sun, we are a billion children rolled into one; so when I hear about the hole in the sky, saltwater wells in my eyes..."
"So Long Garden Dream" by Michael Tomlinson, on his album Still Believe. "It's over now unless we open our eyes."
"Sierra" by Kyle Vincent on his 2003 album, Solitary Road.
Where have you gone John Muir?, Mother Nature cries her weary eyes to you. The acoustic guitar driven "Sierra," was inspired by the works of John Denver and John Muir. It is Vincent's plea to promote peace and caring for our planet. Also available:
- Lyrics by Kyle Vincent
- MP3 (96 kbs - low quality)
- Flash Slide Show with the Music by Carolyn Scott
"Somebody's Habitat" by Joyce Rouse (Earth Mama) on her album Under the Rainbow. Upbeat melody tells the story of what happens when we cut too many trees, and poses the solution to love our babies by loving some other babies' habitat.
"Song of the Wilderness" [mp3 sample] by Dan Berggren, on his album One With the Water.
"Swimming to the Other Side" by Pat Humphries.
- Swimming to the Other Side' The Evolution of Pat Humphries' Modern Folk Anthem by Marika Partridge - essay and audio from NPR's All things Considered
- Streaming Real Audio of the song - from NPR
- MP3 - from www.pathumphries.com
"This Land is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie Sally Rogers has added some great environmental lyrics to this song on her album Piggyback Planet: Songs for a Whole Earth"
"Tree Song: for the Sisters of the Siskiyou" by Patrick Dodd, a tribute to the (mostly) elderly women who were jailed for blockading a logging truck to defend old growth forests in southern Oregon against the Forest Service's so-called "Biscuit fire recovery project" (read: "timber sale"). Don't miss the Quicktime® video of Dodd singing this with the Sisters at their second blockade! For more information, see the Siskiyou Project.
"Saltwater" by Julian Lennon. - Among others, recorded on Judith Durham's Always There album. "We are a rock revolving around a golden sun, we are a billion children rolled into one; so when I hear about the hole in the sky, saltwater wells in my eyes..."
"Silent Ruin" by Olivia Newton-John on her album Gaia - A song written for a documentary, "The Last Whale", Olivia changed the word "whale" to "wild" for the album because she recognizes all the planet;s creatures face the same plight.
"The Song of the World's Last Whale" by Pete Seeger - Imagine hearing the last humpback whale sing from a sailboat. This unrecorded song ncludes a messge of hope: "If we can save Our singers in the sea, Perhaps there's a chance To save you and me."
"Tapestry" by Don McLean - "Every thread of creation is held in position ... By still other strands of things living..."
"Take Me Home" by Amy Fradon & Leslie Ritter on their album Take Me Home (1994) Shenachie/Cachet Records). - A beautiful song about the beauty of nature.
"Throwing Stones" by John Perry Barlow performed by The Grateful Dead
Think Like a River" by Barry Hertz, bhertz@direct.ca on his album Sure Cure
"To All My Relations" by Bear Dyken - on Clan Dyken's album, Family Values (1989, Dyken Music, BMI, Forward Productions)
"To the Wild Country" by John Denver. You can hear John Denver sound clips or buy the album from Amazon.com.
"The Tree" by Dana Lyons from his album At Night They Howl at the Moon: Environmental Songs for Kids. A moving song from the "first-person" point of view of a 800 year old growth tree, nurturing life for hundreds of years only to be threatened by a bulldozer.
"Use It Up" by The Limeliters on their album, Global Carnival (1992. West Knoll Records), and Until We Get it Right (forthcoming) - A satire - "Plenty more where that came from..."
"The Web of LIfe" by Walkin' Jim Stoltz
"We Did It" by Nancy Schimmel. A great song about how we can solve global warming. Nancy says, "I agree that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, but I also think we need optimism of the heart as well as pessimism of the mind to be of any use."
"What Will It Take" by Karen Lehner, on her 1991 album Still Waters.
"When Fall Comes to New England" by Cheryl Wheeler - from her album, Driving Home (1995, Philo) - A beautiful song!
"When the North Pole Melts" by Captain Sea Level . A satirical song about global warming, addressing the question of what will Santa do when the North Pole melts. A grim question, conveyed in a most humorous Beach Boys-style harmony! You can also download words, chords for two guitars, or the sheet music for the five voices on the recording. Originally recorded in 1988, it was re-released in 2004 because its message is even more relevant today.
"Whose Garden Was This" by Tom Paxton This song sends shivers up and down my spine. It has been recorded by many artists, including John Denver, Tom Paxton, and others.
"Wild Country" by Bear Dyken - on Clan Dyken's album, Family Values (1989, Dyken Music, BMI, Forward Productions)
"Wilderness" by Eric Bogle, - on Voices in the Wilderness,1990.
Includes the stirring refrain, "Save the Wilderness! It's a part of us, the part that sets us free!"
"Wind on the Water" by Graham Nash
This "save the whales" song may be heard on the album, MFQ LIve in Japan by the Modern Folk Quartet
"Windsong" by John Denver. You can hear John Denver sound clips, including Windsong, or buy the album from Amazon.com.
"You Can't Clearcut Your Way to Heaven" by Darryl Cherney from his album They Sure Don't Make Hippies LIke They Used To!"

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Folk Songs (Anonymous authors)

"God of the Earth, The Sky, The Sea"
"Home on the Range" - You know the first verse, but have you heard all five?
"I Love the Mountains" (round)
"Land of the Silver Birch"
"The Bird's Return"
"'Tis Springtime"

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This page is maintained by Harold Wood.
E-mail: harold (at) planetpatriot.net

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